LSP Executive Board

1. LSP Executive Board Comprehensive Area Assessment ‘Emerging Picture’ Response 9th June 2009 Jim Wilkie Deputy Chief Executive/ Director of Corporate Services Wirral Council

2. CAA – Emerging Picture Response • Productive ongoing dialogue with the Audit Commission • Valued contributions to response from across the Partnership • LAA Development Group membership reviewed to ensure appropriate representation for CAA evidence gathering and sharing information • 50 page response document submitted early June to inform development of ‘emerging picture’ • Further work will be done following this meeting to address ongoing gaps in evidence and develop focused self-evaluation

3. CAA Question 1: how well do Wirral’s local priorities express community needs and aspirations? What is Wirral’s response? • Community needs and aspirations key element of prioritisation process for our Local Area Agreement and at the heart of our Community Strategy • Recognition that strengths in community engagement (Area Forums, Older People and Youth Parliaments) are being built on with a more co-ordinated strategic approach, delivered through the Comprehensive Engagement Strategy (CES) • CES will put actions in place to ensure partnership approaches and mechanisms for joining up consultation and engagement (engagement toolkit, Compact) are fully embedded and will be a key driver for improved engagement through and with the third sector • Wirral can demonstrate many examples of good practice in relation to community empowerment, engagement and participation across the partnership

4. CAA Question 1: how well do Wirral’s local priorities express community needs and aspirations? What is Wirral’s response? • Many areas have already put in place mechanisms to understand how Wirral is narrowing the gap – included in response document • Community Strategy contains overarching outcome measures in relation to the vision for Wirral • A project team is in place and work underway to develop a performance management framework for the Community Strategy showing how longer-term outcomes will be monitored, bringing together measures from key plans and strategies (CYP Plan, health inequalities, etc.) – this will be used to health check of the SCS annually, to inform partner planning and LAA refresh and review. • Critical mechanism for the partnership in delivering inequalities is also LAA delivery planning. Plans now completed for each improvement area / target in the LAA.

5. CAA Questions 2 & 3: How well are outcomes being delivered? Prospects for future improvement? A strong local economy - what is Wirral’s response? • Wide ranging response to recession across partnership to support businesses and residents – multi-agency working group established ongoing reporting to LSP Executive. Measures include: • Specific business support packages and activity, e.g. Business Conference, rate relief, support grants, employment and redundancy support and earlier access to programmes to help improve skills and employment prospects • New apprenticeship programme • Changes in HMRI and house building targets • VCAW annual conference to highlight practical support from voluntary and community sector • Tunnel tolls frozen • Skills – increasing participation within economically deprived wards, apprenticeship scheme • Worklessness – Focus of Working Wirral

6. CAA Questions 2 & 3: How well are outcomes being delivered? Prospects for future improvement? • Safer stronger communities – what is Wirral’s response? • Clear understanding of crime data and patterns. Establishment of Neighbourhood Policing. Respect area – drive against anti-social behaviour (ASB); 2008/09 full year performance 23% less ASB reports than target set • Strategic approach to offender management and witness/ victim support • Violence – approaches focus on perpetrators of domestic violence, young people and alcohol fuelled domestic violence and violence committed by young people. Violent crime targets have been met • Assaults with less serious injury incidents reduced – 17% less reports than target set • Wide range of road safety measures and campaigns. New Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service road traffic collision reduction strategy team. Significant progress reducing children KSI on our roads – 2010 target surpassed

7. CAA Questions 2 & 3: How well are outcomes being delivered? Prospects for future improvement? Health and wellbeing – what is Wirral’s response? • Development of Health Inequalities Action Plan • NHS Wirral - plans to reduce mortality relating to the major causes of the gap in life expectancy with substantial additional funding c.£75M over the next four years • The most deprived areas of Wirral have been designated as a Health Action Area (HAA)- 5 HAA teams established to set up a programme of community activities that support healthy living • Comprehensive alcohol treatment programme, young persons alcohol treatment and prevention programme

8. CAA Questions 2 & 3: How well are outcomes being delivered? Prospects for future improvement? Life chances for children and young people • A wide range of initiatives, projects and activities to address the attainment gap • Teenage conceptions – Priority Action Plan 2009-11 – focus on high impact areas. • Additional £5.7M over 5 years to reduce teenage conceptions and implement new interventions. • NEET – reducing but not as fast as regional and national figures. Effect of recession making achievement of target more difficult – preventative work and structured activities planned e.g. development of apprenticeship programme.

9. CAA Questions 2 & 3: How well are outcomes being delivered? Prospects for future improvement? A high quality living and working environment • Narrowing the gap in cleanliness standards from 19% to 5% - SOA manager, additional cleansing + enhanced community engagement = achievement • CO2 emissions – development of Sustainability Unit to coordinate partner activity to reduce emissions • LTP congestion delivery plan – A522 to Birkenhead – better use of existing road space • TravelWise Personal Travel Planning project to challenge around 10,000 households to opt for greener modes of travel to cut cost, time and carbon emissions from their journeys.

10. CAA Questions 2 & 3: How well are outcomes being delivered? Prospects for future improvement? • HMRI Pathfinder status, New Growth Point area and Affordable Housing Policy development • Wirral housing priorities of market renewal, affordability, increasing supply, improving decency and meeting the needs of vulnerable people align with regional strategies. • WPH major investment and regeneration programme • Homelessness Strategy – developed in consultation with partners and stakeholders – focus on preventing homelessness and pro-active housing options • Temporary accommodation NI156 – CLG 2010 target already met Sustainable appropriate housing for all

11. Next Steps Roundtable Discussion: Focus on evidencing the outcomes: • Overarching questions for this session might include: • Does the board think that the emerging picture is an accurate representation of Wirral’s progress and current issues for the partnership? • How is the board working together to tackle the issues raised by the Audit Commission? • Are there any particular or significant outcomes / innovations not reflected in the emerging picture that we can highlight?

12. Next Steps Next steps: • Actions from Roundtable Discussion followed up by LAA Development Group • Continuing dialogue with Audit Commission on emerging picture throughout summer and autumn • September – cut off date for submission of evidence • November – area assessment reports published

13. Wirral Local Strategic Partnership Area Assessment Contacts: Jane Morgan, Policy Manager: E: janemorgan@wirral.gov.uk T: 01516918140 Abi Pennington, Senior Policy & information Officer: E: abigailpennington@wirral.gov.uk T: 01516918027